funtimestwo

a dark day in my little corporate world. Long expected layoffs finally happening. They say I'm safe but I still spend the day waiting for a tap on the shoulder. I expect it will be the longest day ever and the beginning of a very very quiet work week. Some of the future finally got here. What's next?

Secret unpronounceable words
half formed then lost
inspiration devoured, remnants skidding off the edges
"How I long for New York"
hanging in the air

another byrd speech

iraqi webcam
the news?

A couple of nights ago I had a dream that an enraged and pumped crowd of New York City patriots got all riled up in their misplaced hatred of all things french and there was a masisve surge of people racing to tear down the Statue of Liberty. It was widely publicized "breaking news" so I rushed to the site to protest-got there before the angry mobs but no one else was protesting-maybe a couple or three people but we were just standing there as the crowds all frothy mouthed and in a blind rage began swarming up over the base and ripping at the metal.
I watched with disbelief thinking how can history be erased so quickly, how can issues be simplified so quickly and all complexity, nuance and conflicting information be filed down to an ineffectual rounded nub?

good stuff
Michael Moore's letter to "Governor" GWBush
Rob Brezny's theory of pronoia and peace poetry (as well as astrology)
Opportunities to get active - a declaration of sorts and a candle in the window
The blogger mirror and deep thoughts on war
don't forget SATURDAY (see 03/18/03 for details)

There is a Native American story about a grandfather, talking to his young grandson. He tells the boy that he has two wolves inside him that are struggling with each other. The one is the wolf of peace, love and kindness. The other is the wolf of fear, greed and hatred.
"Which wolf will win, grandfather?" asks the young boy.
"Whichever one I feed," is the reply.

NINA NASTASIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EAST COAST WITH CALEXICO:
Fri March 21 @ PARADISE ROCK CLUB BOSTON
Sat March 22 @ BOWERY BALLROOM NYC
Sun March 23 @ THE BLACK CAT DC
Advance tickets are encouraged, as Calexico will draw a crowd

What with this and the peace march next saturday looks to be quite uplifting! Please get in touch if you wanna do any of this together : )

Another peace march
Do our numbers really count?
Just go and find out

Here comes the sun yet
Has spring really sprung? Not sure-
Skip school just in case

outgoing message
unnecessarily cruel
its time for a change

feeling:
rushed, tired, privileged, lucky, old, foolish, tubby, squat, novice, free, curious, fascinated, poor, trapped, bounteous, strange, itchy, euphoric, awed, terrified, resilient and in love

tex-mex refueling
and quality husband time
nothing beats a quick trip home

If I edited the sidebar here on my blog and I had a section called Reading: it would contain White Teeth by Zadie Smith, If the Buddha Dated by Charlotte Kasl and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by somebody great. All of these have been or are being quickly and ravenously devoured by me cause they are all so compelling, creative and something else. The Buddha one definitely has the self-help tone and the weakness that some westernized eastern philosophy books have where they sum up most chapters with a statement with the following pattern: a=b and b=a. They take a simple sometimes profound statement and then repeat it backwards thereby heightening the sense of supreme insightfulness and ESP of the Buddhist teacher from 222 AD or whenever. i.e. to forgive our parents is to forgive ourselves; to forgive ourselves is to forgive our parents. Don't you see its the age old cycle of the snake swallowing its tale? Rin pontghe was soooo right, man. But joking aside, there are some really great insights and ideas-mostly reminding us to listen and find opportunity for learning everywhere-greet new situations with fascination and curiosity rather than fear or judgment, etc. Like my father I suppose I am a promiscuous reader (reading anything put before me and wrenching some substance from it.) When I was working at a publishing company I would test the limits of my reading tastes and take home a couple of the really cheap novelettes of popular TV shows or short fictions created around pre-teen idols (Hanson!) and see if I could stomach them and how quickly I could read them. I began and finished a Dawson's Creek Novella on my commute home one night. That's sort of sick.
All the discrediting evidence aside, however, I am now making more discerning choices about my precious reading time, so the books I've listed above I HGHLY recommend-especially White Teeth, I can't believe its a first novel. Such beautiful insights into these different people and such transformative tales. The perspective shifts were really impressive to me, the voice of each character was so well rounded, sympathetic, rich and distinct.
Kavalier and Clay also stuck in brain - got quite lodged. I keep wanting to buy it for people. 2002 was also a good year for discovery of new all time favorite writers-I found Robertson Davies (thanks O) and Aimee Bender (!!!! thanks jellybean)-check them out if you haven't. And now a treat from Rumi who figures largely in the Buddha book:
I want this music and this dawn and the warmth of your cheek against mine
its true

Warm and glowing house
Radiating friendship's joys
Ready for stage two